Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (album)


Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the self-titled debut album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1980. It peaked at number 27 in the UK Albums Chart. "Electricity" and "Red Frame/White Light" were released as singles; a re-recorded version of "Messages" provided OMD with their first hit in the UK, reaching number 13.
The album received favourable reviews, and has been championed by musicians ZZ Top and Vince Clarke of Erasure. The album was remastered and re-released in 2003 with six bonus tracks, including the single version of "Messages".
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is also the title of a 1981 compilation album of tracks from this release and OMD's second album, Organisation, issued only in the United States.

Background

Rather than hire studio time for the album, OMD members Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys used their advance from Dindisc to build their own Liverpool recording studio, The Gramophone Suite. They predicted that they would be dropped by the label due to disappointing sales, but would at least own a recording studio. Still generally a duo performing alongside a TEAC 4-track tape recorder christened "Winston", OMD enlisted Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes, the latter of whom had performed with McCluskey and Humphreys in OMD precursor outfit The Id. Cooper played saxophone on "Mystereality", while Holmes supplied percussion on "Julia's Song"; Dave Fairbairn played guitar on this track, as well as on "Messages". "Julia's Song", "Electricity" and "The Misunderstanding" were holdovers from the Id.
The included tracks were composed during the previous four years, and included OMD's first ever composition, "Electricity", and the last song written for the album, "Pretending to See the Future". According to keyboardist Paul Humphreys, the primary influences on the record were Brian Eno, Neu! and Kraftwerk.

Artwork

The sleeve was designed by graphic designer Peter Saville and interior designer Ben Kelly, based on a door designed by Kelly. It featured a die-cut grid through which the orange inner sleeve was visible. Saville and Kelly won a Designers and Art Directors Award for their work on the album.
Frontman Andy McCluskey has stated that OMD did not fully understand the royalty system at the time, and that the band "had a sleeve that cost us so much to manufacture that for every record we sold we were barely earning pennies", although Carol Wilson of Dindisc disputed this, saying the cost to the band for the sleeve was contractually fixed and Virgin took the expense.

Reception and legacy

Reviews of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark were positive. Paul Morley in the New Musical Express wrote: "How fine and different their melodies can be, how detailed and distinctive their song-structure... there is a constant change in emphasis and dynamics. It's definitely dance music. Orch Man's debut LP is one of the best of the year." Melody Maker journalist Ian Birch called the record "Unpretentious, tuneful and unceasingly pleasant". Sounds and International Musician also offered positive reviews.
In a retrospective appraisal for Pitchfork, Scott Plagenhoef opined: "Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Darks original release was highlighted by the exquisite 'Electricity' and the brooding 'The Messerschmit Twins'... the elegant 'Messages' stands out next to the record's often sparse, minimalist soundscapes." Ned Raggett in AllMusic said: "OMD's first full album won as much attention for its brilliant die-cut cover -- another example of Peter Saville's cutting-edge way around design -- as for its music, and its music is wonderful... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is just like the band that made it -- perfectly of its time and easily transcending it." Trouser Press called the record "a demonstration of stylish electro-pop" with "a knack for melodies and hooks".
Musician Vince Clarke has cited the album as one of his primary influences, with "Electricity" being the track that moved him to pursue a career in electronic music. Rock group ZZ Top, with whom OMD shared a studio on a 1980 edition of BBC2 show The Old Grey Whistle Test while promoting Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, became fans upon hearing the material and would play the record over their PA system prior to concerts. ZZ Top's fondness of the album also led to the band borrowing McCluskey's distinctive on-stage routine – dubbed by the BBC's Stuart Maconie the "Trainee Teacher Dance".
It was listed in Slicing Up Eyeballs "Best of the '80s" in March 2013, being ranked as one of the top 30 albums of 1980 based on 3,360 reader votes. In 2016, Dave Segal in The Stranger wrote that the record "remains a masterpiece of enchanting melodies, fascinating rhythms, and cherubic vocals".

Track listing

All songs were written by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, except where noted.

Original release

Released on LP and compact cassette, the album was well-balanced for playback time, 18:23 on side A and 18:44 on side B.
A 1980 French cassette release, offered as part of Collection Chrome high performance line, is notable for using more expensive chromium dioxide tape instead of standard ferric oxide tape. This release quotes slightly different running times, 17:36 and 18:23 respectively.

US release (O.M.D.)

A 1981 US compilation, also using the band's name as the title of the release, collects material from the first two OMD albums, and uses a differently coloured, non-die cut version of the sleeve-art from the debut LP.

Remastered CD release with bonus tracks

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Personnel